CN114072297A

CN114072297A - Air conditioning unit, heat exchanger, and air conditioner

Info

Publication number: CN114072297A
Application number: CN202080048707.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 羽濑知树; 立野井秀哲; 中川信也; 片山康雄
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2019-07-01
Filing date: 2020-06-26
Publication date: 2022-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-26
Also published as: EP3995774A4; JP2021008981A; US20220364762A1; EP3995774A1; WO2021002288A1; JP7329373B2; CN114072297B

Abstract

The invention provides a heat exchanger capable of supplying air with proper temperature to a plurality of air outlets of an air conditioning unit, and the air conditioning unit and an air conditioner with the heat exchanger. An air conditioning unit (10) according to the present invention is provided with: a heat exchanger (20) for exchanging heat between air and coolant, a blower (11), and an air outflow unit (12). A heat exchanger (20) is provided with: a plurality of tubes (21) through which a coolant flows, an inlet header (23), an outlet header (24), and a blade (22). The inlet header (23) includes: a low-temperature-side coolant inflow unit (231) into which a coolant having a relatively low temperature can flow; and a high-temperature-side coolant inflow unit (232) into which a coolant having a relatively high temperature can flow. The low-temperature-side coolant inflow part (231) and the high-temperature-side coolant inflow part (232) are offset from each other in a direction (D1) in which air passing through the heat exchanger flows, and are offset from each other in a crossing direction (D2) that crosses with respect to a direction (D1) in which the air flows.

Description

Air conditioning unit, heat exchanger, and air conditioner

Technical Field

The invention relates to an air conditioning unit, a heat exchanger and an air conditioner.

Background

An Air conditioner mounted in a vehicle is configured to include an Air Conditioning unit called an HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning) unit provided in a vehicle compartment.

As described in patent document 1, for example, the HVAC includes: a blower which sucks in external air or internal air and blows out the air from the air outlet through the duct; a1 st heat exchanger (evaporator) supplied with refrigerant from a refrigerant system; and a2 nd heat exchanger (heater core) that is supplied with engine cooling water as warm water from the coolant system as a heat source. The evaporator cools and dehumidifies air by exchanging heat between refrigerant and air. The heater core heats air by heat-exchanging warm water and air. The HVAC mixes air passing through these heat exchangers to perform temperature adjustment, and blows air from each air outlet of the face and foot portions during defrosting.

In the duct of the HVAC, a flow path is set for allowing air passing through the evaporator to flow into the heater core, and the flow rate of the air flowing through the flow path is adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of an air mixing damper disposed between the evaporator and the heater core. Only the relatively low-temperature air passing through the vaporizer and the relatively high-temperature air passing through the vaporizer and the heater core are mixed in a predetermined region in the duct and distributed to the respective outlets.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2006-143081

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

In the case where 2 heat exchangers are provided as in the HVAC unit described in patent document 1, as shown in fig. 9, it is necessary to: a space for disposing an air mix damper 93; or a region 94 where air is mixed further downstream than the vaporizer 91 and the heater core 92.

Here, since it is necessary to lead air out from the mixing region 94 located near the terminal end of the duct toward each outlet of the FACE (FACE), Defrost (DEF), and FOOT (FOOT), it may be difficult to supply air at an appropriate temperature to each outlet. If the mixing region 94 cannot be secured over a wide range, it is difficult to appropriately set the flow paths through which the air in different temperature ranges flows from the mixing region 94 to the respective outlets.

As described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger capable of supplying air at an appropriate temperature to a plurality of outlets in an air conditioning unit such as an HVAC unit, and an air conditioning unit and an air conditioner provided with the heat exchanger.

Means for solving the technical problem

An air conditioning unit according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the air and the coolant; a blower supplying air to the heat exchanger; and an air outflow unit that causes the air that has passed through the heat exchanger to flow out of the air conditioning unit, the heat exchanger including: a plurality of pipe bodies stacked and having a coolant flowing therein; an inlet header communicating with an end portion on an upstream side of the plurality of tube bodies in a direction in which the coolant flows; an outlet header communicating with an end portion on a downstream side of the plurality of tube bodies in a direction in which the coolant flows; and a blade thermally coupled to the plurality of tubes.

Further, in the present invention, the inlet header includes: a low-temperature-side coolant inflow unit into which a coolant having a relatively low temperature can flow; and a high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion into which a coolant having a relatively high temperature can flow, the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion and the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion being offset from each other in a direction in which air passing through the heat exchanger flows and being offset from each other in a cross direction crossing the direction in which the air flows.

In the air conditioning unit of the present invention, the low temperature side coolant inflow portion is preferably offset on the upstream side of the air flow with respect to the high temperature side coolant inflow portion.

In the air conditioning unit of the present invention, the air outflow portion preferably includes: a low-temperature-side air outflow unit that causes air having a low relative temperature to flow out; and a high-temperature side air outflow portion for allowing air having a relatively high temperature to flow out.

The air conditioning unit of the present invention is preferably used for an indoor air conditioner of a vehicle, and the air outflow portion includes: the low-temperature side air outflow portion, the medium-temperature side air outflow portion, and the high-temperature side air outflow portion are offset in the cross direction with respect to the air flow, the low-temperature side air outflow portion corresponds to an air outlet for the face, the medium-temperature side air outflow portion corresponds to an air outlet for the window, and the high-temperature side air outflow portion corresponds to an air outlet for the foot.

In the air conditioning unit according to the present invention, the heat exchanger is preferably curved such that a part thereof is located on a relatively upstream side and another part thereof is located on a relatively downstream side in the air flow direction.

In the air conditioning unit according to the present invention, it is preferable that the inlet header and the outlet header communicate with a plurality of rows of tubes arranged in the direction in which air flows, the interior of the inlet header is divided into a low temperature side region into which the coolant can flow from the low temperature side coolant inflow portion and a high temperature side region into which the coolant can flow from the high temperature side coolant inflow portion, the low temperature side region communicates with the tubes of the row on the upstream side or the downstream side in the direction in which air flows, and the high temperature side region communicates with the tubes of the other row, allowing the coolant to move between the low temperature side region and the high temperature side region.

Further, the present invention is a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a coolant, comprising: a plurality of pipe bodies stacked and having a coolant flowing therein; an inlet header communicating with an end portion on an upstream side of the plurality of tube bodies in a direction in which the coolant flows; an outlet header communicating with an end portion on a downstream side of the plurality of tube bodies in a direction in which the coolant flows; and a vane thermally coupled to the plurality of tubes, the inlet header comprising: a low-temperature side coolant inflow unit into which a coolant having a relatively low temperature flows; and a high-temperature side coolant inflow part into which a coolant having a relatively high temperature flows, the low-temperature side coolant inflow part and the high-temperature side coolant inflow part being offset from each other in a direction in which air passing through the heat exchanger flows and being offset from each other in a crossing direction crossing the direction in which the air flows.

Further, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes: a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a condenser, a decompression section, and an evaporator; a high-temperature-side coolant circuit including a high-temperature-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a coolant and a refrigerant flowing through the condenser; a low-temperature-side coolant circuit including a low-temperature-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a coolant and a refrigerant flowing through the evaporator; a1 st heat exchanger to which coolant is supplied from at least one of a high-temperature-side coolant circuit and a low-temperature-side coolant circuit; and a2 nd heat exchanger to which coolant is supplied from at least one of the high-temperature-side coolant circuit and the low-temperature-side coolant circuit, wherein the 1 st heat exchanger is the heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit, and the low-temperature-side coolant inflow unit is configured to allow the coolant to flow from the low-temperature-side coolant circuit into the low-temperature-side coolant inflow unit, and the high-temperature-side coolant inflow unit is configured to allow the coolant to flow from the high-temperature-side coolant circuit into the high-temperature-side coolant inflow unit.

The air conditioner of the present invention is used for indoor air conditioning of a vehicle, and the air outlet of the air conditioning unit preferably corresponds to an air outlet for blowing air into a room.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, the low-temperature side coolant inflow portion and the high-temperature side coolant inflow portion into which the coolant having different relative temperatures flows are provided at the inlet header of the heat exchanger, and the coolant inflow portions are offset in the direction in which the air flows, whereby the coolant flowing into the inlet header from each of the low-temperature side coolant inflow portion and the high-temperature side coolant inflow portion is offset from the inflow portion into which the coolant flows and flows into the adjacent tube body.

Therefore, since the coolant flowing through each tube body is provided with a temperature gradient in the segment direction of the tube body, the same temperature gradient is provided to the air that is supplied to the heat exchanger and receives heat indirectly from the coolant flowing through each tube body.

In this way, the air of an appropriate temperature is caused to flow out from the area adjacent to the downstream side of the heat exchanger by the air outflow portion capable of selecting an appropriate position, and the air of a temperature range suitable for each supply destination can be easily and reliably distributed to the plurality of supply destinations to which the temperature-controlled air is supplied.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the inside of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the heat exchanger shown in fig. 1 from the windward side.

Fig. 3(a) is a diagram showing the heat exchanger shown in fig. 2 in a simplified shape, and is a diagram schematically showing the correspondence of the flow of air flowing out from the air conditioning unit via the heat exchanger and the outlet port of air in the vehicle compartment. Fig. 3(b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a temperature gradient applied to the heat exchanger according to the positions of the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion and the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion flowing into the inlet header of the heat exchanger.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration of an air conditioner for a vehicle including the air conditioning unit shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams for explaining the flow of the coolant corresponding to each operation mode of the air conditioner shown in fig. 4. Fig. 5(a) shows the strong cooling mode, and fig. 5(b) shows the weak cooling mode.

Fig. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams for explaining the flow of the coolant corresponding to each operation mode of the air conditioner shown in fig. 4. Fig. 6(a) shows the weak heating and dehumidification heating mode, and fig. 6(b) shows the strong heating mode.

Fig. 7(a) and 7(b) are views showing a heat exchanger according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view showing the heat exchanger from the windward side, and fig. 7(b) is a plan view showing the heat exchanger from above.

Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the correspondence between the flow of air flowing out from the air conditioning unit via the heat exchanger of embodiment 2 and the outlet port of air in the vehicle cabin. An example of the temperature gradient applied to the heat exchanger is shown by an isotherm.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the interior of a conventional air conditioning unit for a vehicle.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[ 1 st embodiment ]

With reference to fig. 1 to 6, the air conditioning unit 10 and the heat exchanger 20 constituting the air conditioning unit 10 will be described. The air conditioning unit 10 and the heat exchanger 20 can be used for air conditioning of the interior of a vehicle, for example, as described below. The air conditioner 1 (fig. 4) including the air conditioning unit 10 is mounted on, for example, a vehicle. The air conditioning unit 10 is disposed In the vehicle cabin In (fig. 4).

The air conditioning unit 10 shown in fig. 1 can constitute the air conditioner 1 shown in fig. 4. First, the air-conditioning unit 10 will be explained, and then the air-conditioning apparatus 1 will be explained.

< air-conditioning unit >

The air conditioning unit 10 (fig. 1) includes: the air conditioner includes a heat exchanger 20 (1 st heat exchanger) for exchanging heat between air and a coolant, a blower 11 for supplying air to the heat exchanger 20, air outlets 12(121 to 123) for allowing the air passing through the heat exchanger 20 to flow out from the air conditioning unit 10, and a duct 13 for disposing the heat exchanger 20 inside. The duct 13 serves as a housing of the air conditioning unit 10.

The air conditioning unit 10 may include 1 heat exchanger 20. The HVAC unit of the conventional example shown in fig. 9 includes 2 heat exchangers (91, 92), and differs from this in that the air conditioning unit 10 includes only 1 heat exchanger 20. The air conditioning unit 10 does not have the elements that correspond to the air mixing damper 93 and the mixing zone 94 that the HVAC unit shown in figure 9 does.

The Air Conditioning unit 10 is an Air Conditioning unit called HVAC (Air Conditioning, and Air Conditioning), and has functions of cooling, Heating, dehumidifying, and ventilating the interior of the vehicle cabin. The air conditioning unit 10 can be disposed inside an indoor panel such as an instrument panel of a vehicle. Regarding the posture of the installed air conditioning unit 10, for example, the upper side and the lower side of fig. 1 correspond to the upper side and the lower side of the air conditioning unit 10 in the vertical direction, respectively, the left side of fig. 1 corresponds to the front side in the vehicle forward direction, and the right side of fig. 1 corresponds to the rear side in the vehicle forward direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the air conditioning unit 10 may be installed in an appropriate posture.

The air conditioning unit 10 supplies air taken in by the blower fan 11 to the heat exchanger 20, and causes air whose temperature has been adjusted by passing through the heat exchanger 20 to flow out from the air outflow portion 12. In fig. 1, the air flow from the blower 11 to the air outflow portion 12 is schematically shown by solid arrows. The air flowing out of the air outflow portion 12 is blown out to a plurality of outlets 31 to 33 (fig. 3) provided in an indoor panel or the like through a flow path (not shown) into the vehicle compartment.

The outlets 31 to 33 (fig. 3) are constituted by, for example, a face outlet 31 for blowing air toward the face of the occupant, a window outlet 32 for blowing air toward the window of the vehicle, and a foot outlet 33 for blowing air toward the foot of the occupant. These outlets 31 to 33 are preferably provided at positions where the air outlets are provided in a panel or the like of a vehicle compartment, so that the temperature-controlled air can be efficiently supplied to supply destinations such as a face, a window, and a foot.

According to the air conditioning unit 10, air at an appropriate temperature can be supplied to each supply destination through the outlets 31 to 33. When the appropriate temperature of the air blown out from the face outlet 31 is T1, the appropriate temperature of the air blown out from the window outlet 32 is T2, and the appropriate temperature of the air blown out from the foot outlet 33 is T3, the relative relationship between these temperatures is typically T1 < T2 < T3. When head and foot cooling preferable for air conditioning is applied, T1 < T3 is satisfied.

(air-blower)

The blower 11 (electric blower) is rotationally driven by a driving force of a motor (not shown) to suck in air outside the vehicle (outside air) or air inside the vehicle (inside air) from the suction portion 11A (fig. 4) in accordance with selection of an outside air/inside air mode of the air conditioning unit 10. The air sucked by the blower 11 is discharged from the discharge portion 11B (fig. 1) to the inside of the duct 13, and is supplied to the heat exchanger 20.

(Heat exchanger)

The heat exchanger 20 (fig. 1 to 3) obtains temperature-conditioned air by heat-exchanging air supplied from the blower 11 and coolant supplied from the coolant circuit CL shown in fig. 4.

As will be described later, the high-temperature-side coolant and the low-temperature-side coolant are obtained by heat exchange with a refrigerant circulating in a refrigerant circuit 40 (fig. 4) of a heat pump cycle that compresses the refrigerant and delivers the refrigerant to a heat load using external air as a heat source, and are supplied to the heat exchanger 20.

The coolant is, for example, a liquid for a heat carrier such as pure water or brine, and water for cooling an engine mounted on a vehicle can be used as the coolant.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the heat exchanger 20 includes a plurality of stacked flat tubes 21, a plurality of blades 22, an inlet header 23, and an outlet header 24.

A coolant flows inside each pipe body 21. The pipe bodies 21 extend in parallel to each other from an upstream end 21A on the upstream side to a downstream end 21B on the downstream side in the direction in which the coolant flows. Each tube 21 extends in a direction perpendicular to the paper of fig. 1.

The pipe body 21 can be formed by extrusion molding, roll molding, or the like using a metal material having excellent thermal conductivity, such as copper, a copper alloy, or aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The blades 22 and the

headers

23 and 24 can be formed by an appropriate method using the same metal material as the pipe body 21.

The blades 22 are formed in an appropriate shape so as to increase the heat transfer area between the air and the coolant for thermal coupling with the pipe body 21, and are assembled with the pipe body 21. The blades 22 may be formed in a corrugated shape, for example, and may be alternately stacked with the tubes 21, or may be formed in a plate shape orthogonally arranged with respect to the stacked tubes 21.

The heat exchange core 20C having 1 st to nth stages is constituted by n pipe bodies 21 and a plurality of blades 22 attached to the pipe bodies 21. Air is supplied to the air supply surface 20A of the heat exchange core 20C by the blower 11 in a direction D1 intersecting a direction D3 (fig. 2) in which the coolant flows through the pipe 21. The air supplied to the air supply surface 20A passes through the gaps between the blades 22, and exchanges heat with the coolant flowing through the pipe body 21.

The direction D1 in which the air supplied to the heat exchanger 20 passes through the heat exchanger 20 is referred to as an air flow direction D1, and the direction D3 in which the coolant flows through the tube 21 is referred to as a coolant flow direction D3.

The inlet header 23 and the outlet header 24 extend in the direction (D2) in which the tubes 21 are stacked.

In each of the stacked tube bodies 21, the coolant flows in through the inlet header 23, and the coolant flowing through each tube body 21 flows out to the coolant circuit CL (fig. 4) through the outlet header 24.

The inlet header 23 contains a space communicating with the upstream end 21A of each of the 1 st segment pipe body 21 to the nth segment pipe body 21. An opening into which the upstream end portion 21A of each tube body 21 is inserted is formed in the inlet header 23.

The outlet header 24 includes spaces communicating with the downstream end portions 21B of the 1 st segment pipe body 21 to the nth segment pipe body 21. An opening into which the downstream end portion 21B of each tube body 21 is inserted is formed in the outlet header 24.

The tube body 21, the vanes 22, the inlet header 23, and the outlet header 24 are joined to each other by, for example, welding.

The heat exchanger 20 of the present embodiment has a curved shape as a whole with respect to the air flow direction D1 in which air passes through the heat exchanger 20. Specifically, in the heat exchange core 20C, the central portion in the 1 st to nth stages (stacking direction) is curved in a direction convex toward the downstream in the air flow direction with respect to both end portions, and the inlet header 23 and the outlet header 24 are also curved in the same direction.

By bending the heat exchanger 20, the heat exchanger 20 can be disposed well inside the duct 13 under the restriction of the installation space in the vehicle or the like to which the air conditioning unit 10 is allowed. To avoid other on-board machines, the heat exchanger 20 may be bent in the opposite direction to that shown in FIG. 1.

However, the heat exchanger 20 does not necessarily need to be bent.

The heat exchanger 20 has a main feature in coolant inflow portions 231, 232 (fig. 1 to 3) where coolant can flow into the inlet header 23.

The inlet header 23 includes a low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231 and a high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232 that correspond to the coolants having different temperatures, respectively. The coolant flows into the inlet header 23 through at least one of these

coolant inflow portions

231, 232.

The coolant LC (low-temperature-side coolant) having a low relative temperature can flow from the low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60 described later into the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231. The high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232 is capable of flowing a coolant HC (high-temperature-side coolant) having a relatively high temperature from the high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50, which will be described later, independently of the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231.

The coolant flowing into the inlet header 23 from at least one of the

coolant inflow portions

231 and 232 flows through the pipe body 21, flows into the outlet header 24, and flows out to the coolant circuit CL from the coolant outflow portion 241 provided in the outlet header 24.

The low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231 and the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232 are offset from each other in the air flow direction D1, and are also offset from each other in the intersecting direction D2 intersecting with respect to the air flow direction D1, as schematically shown in fig. 3(a), for example. The air that is supplied to the heat exchanger 20 by the blower 11 and exchanges heat with the coolant flowing through the pipe body 21 is provided with a temperature gradient in the intersecting direction D2 according to the positional deviation between the low temperature side coolant inflow portion 231 and the high temperature side coolant inflow portion 232. This will be described later.

The crossing direction D2 crosses both the air flow direction D1 and the coolant flow direction D3.

Regarding the deviation in the airflow direction D1, in order to dehumidify the air, the low-temperature-side coolant inflow unit 231 is preferably deviated upstream in the airflow direction D1 from the high-temperature-side coolant inflow unit 232.

(air outflow part)

The air outflow portion 12 (fig. 1) corresponds to an opening provided in the wall of the duct 13 through which air flows. The air supplied to the heat exchanger 20 passes through the heat exchanger 20, and a temperature gradient is given to an intersecting direction D2 intersecting with the airflow direction D1. Therefore, air having a temperature suitable for each of the outlets 31 to 33 can flow out toward each of the outlets 31 to 33 from a position of a temperature suitable for each of the outlets 31 to 33 in the region 131 (fig. 3) extending in the intersecting direction D2 adjacent to the downstream side of the heat exchanger 20.

The air outflow unit 12 is configured to flow air in relatively different temperature ranges, which has passed through the heat exchanger 20, to the face outlet 31, the window outlet 32, and the foot outlet 33, respectively.

The air outflow portion 12 is composed of a plurality of air outflow portions 121 to 123 corresponding to the plurality of outlets 31 to 33, respectively. Specifically, the air outlet portion 12 includes a low temperature side air outlet portion 121 for allowing air having a relatively low temperature to flow out, a medium temperature side air outlet portion 122 for allowing air having a relatively intermediate temperature to flow out, and a high temperature side air outlet portion 123 for allowing air having a relatively high temperature to flow out. These air outflow portions 121 to 123 are openings independent of each other, and are provided in the duct 13 at positions selected to take out air having a temperature suitable for the corresponding outlet from the region 131. The air outlets 121 to 123 are not necessarily independent of each other, and the air outlets located adjacent to each other are allowed to be combined into one opening.

The air outlets corresponding to the air outflow portions 121 to 123 can be set as appropriate in consideration of head and foot cooling.

In the present embodiment, the low-temperature-side air outflow portion 121 corresponds to the face outlet 31, the medium-temperature-side air outflow portion 122 corresponds to the window outlet 32, and the high-temperature-side air outflow portion 123 corresponds to the foot outlet 33.

According to the installation posture of the heat exchanger 20 and the positions of the air outflow portions 121 to 123 in the present embodiment, the temperature near the face air outlet 31 in the heat exchanger 20 can be set relatively low, and the temperature near the foot air outlet 33 in the heat exchanger 20 can be set relatively high, so that the head-cooling and foot-heating can be realized, and the passenger comfort can be provided.

The outlets corresponding to the air outflow portions 121 to 123 are not limited to the present embodiment.

In the example shown in fig. 1, the high temperature side air outflow portion 123 is located on the most upstream side of the air flow from the heat exchanger 20 to the terminal end 13A of the duct 13, and the low temperature side air outflow portion 121 is located on the most downstream side. The intermediate-temperature air outflow portion 122, which causes air in an intermediate temperature range of the temperature ranges of the air flowing out from each of the low-temperature-side air outflow portion 121 and the high-temperature-side air outflow portion 123 to flow out, is located between the high-temperature-side air outflow portion 123 and the low-temperature-side air outflow portion 121.

The positions of the air outlets 121 to 123 are preferably set as appropriate according to the shape of the duct 13 or the heat exchanger 20, the position of the heat exchanger 20 in the duct 13, and the like.

The size or direction of the opening of each of the air outflow portions 121 to 123 can be set appropriately to suppress pressure loss and to allow air to flow smoothly to the corresponding outlet.

(action and Effect of air-conditioning Unit)

The operation of the air conditioning unit 10 configured by the heat exchanger 20 (fig. 1 to 3) will be described.

The coolant LC having a relatively low temperature flows into the inlet header 23 of the heat exchanger 20 from the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231, and the coolant HC having a relatively high temperature flows into the inlet header 23 of the heat exchanger 20 from the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232.

As described above, since the positions of the low temperature side coolant inflow portion 231 and the high temperature side coolant inflow portion 232 are offset from each other in the air flow direction D1 and also offset from each other in the intersecting direction D2, the coolant flowing into the inlet header 23 from each of the low temperature side coolant inflow portion 231 and the high temperature side coolant inflow portion 232 flows into the pipe body 21 that is offset to the near from the

inflow portion

231 or 232 into which the coolant flows.

For example, as shown in fig. 3a, the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231 is located on the upstream side in the air flow direction D1 and on the side (the upper side in fig. 3 a) intersecting the direction D2, and therefore the coolant LC flowing in from the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231 mainly flows into the pipe body 21 disposed on the 1 st stage side among the stacked pipe bodies 21.

On the other hand, the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232 is located on the downstream side in the air flow direction D1 and on the other side (the lower side in fig. 3 a) in the intersecting direction D2, opposite to the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231, and the coolant HC that has flowed in from the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232 mainly flows into the pipe body 21 disposed on the nth stage side among the stacked pipe bodies 21.

A temperature gradient is given to the coolant flowing in the coolant flow direction D3 in each pipe body 21 in the segment direction. Therefore, the same temperature gradient is also applied to the air that is supplied to the heat exchanger 20 by the blower 11 and receives heat between the coolants flowing through the respective tubes 21.

With respect to fig. 3(b), the temperature gradient existing in the coolant flowing in the tube 21 of each stage in the heat exchanger 20 is represented by a pattern different for each temperature domain. The temperature ranges B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5 have a relationship of B1 < B2 < B3 < B4 < B5. Since such a temperature gradient is imparted to the coolant and the hot air during the passage through the heat exchanger 20, the same temperature gradient as that shown in fig. 3(b) also exists in the air flow F immediately after the 1 st to nth stages of the heat exchanger 20.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the offset direction of the

coolant inflow portions

231 and 232 is set so that the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231 is located upstream in the air flow direction D1 with respect to the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232. Therefore, as shown in fig. 3(B), most of the air supplied to the heat exchanger 20 passes through the temperature regions B1, B2, etc. in which the temperature of the coolant is relatively low when the air flows into the heat exchanger 20. The air is sufficiently cooled by heat exchange with the coolant in the temperature ranges B1, B2, and the like, the dew point temperature is lowered, and after efficient dehumidification from the air, the air passes through the temperature ranges B3 to B5, and the like, in which the temperature of the coolant is higher than that of the coolant, and the air having the raised temperature is supplied to the supply destination. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to preventing fogging of the window or improving comfort in the vehicle compartment.

In fig. 3(a) and 3(b), the heat exchanger 20 is illustrated as a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the same temperature gradient as that shown in fig. 3(b) is applied to the air passing through the heat exchanger 20 even in the curved heat exchanger 20, based on the positional displacement of the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231 and the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232.

The heat exchanger 20 may be formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

As described above, if the low temperature side coolant inflow portion 231 and the high temperature side coolant inflow portion 232 are offset in the air flow direction D1 and the intersecting direction D2, a temperature gradient is provided in the region 131 adjacent to the downstream side of the heat exchanger 20. The air temperature is distributed in the segment direction from the 1 st to the nth segment, that is, in the wide region 131 extending in the intersecting direction D2.

For example, as shown in fig. 9, in an HVAC unit including 2 heat exchangers (91, 92), it is difficult to expand a mixing region 94 located near the end of the duct due to the restriction of the volume of the unit. If air having different temperature ranges obtained by mixing only air having passed through the heat exchanger 91 and air having passed through both the

heat exchangers

91 and 92 has to be distributed to the outlets from the mixing area 94, it may be difficult to distribute air having an appropriate temperature to the outlets.

On the other hand, by selecting an appropriate position from the area 131 of the present embodiment and causing air at an appropriate temperature to flow out through the air outflow portions 12(121 to 123) provided in the duct 13, it is possible to easily and reliably distribute air at an appropriate temperature range to a plurality of supply destinations for supplying temperature-controlled air and to each of the supply destinations.

Further, in the configuration shown in fig. 9, since the mixing area 94 located at the upper end in the HVAC unit is located far from the foot outlet located at the lower side in the vehicle compartment, it may be difficult to secure a flow path matching the air volume required for the outlet.

In contrast, as shown in the present embodiment, when the heat exchanger 20 is disposed so as to extend substantially in the vertical direction along the vertical direction of the sheet of fig. 1, the high-temperature-side air outflow portion 123 is located at the lowermost position among the air outflow portions 121 to 123, and is normally located close to the foot outlet 33 located at the lower position in the vehicle compartment. Therefore, a sufficient amount of air can be supplied from the high-temperature-side air outflow portion 123 to the foot outlet 33 while suppressing pressure loss.

< air conditioner >

Next, an example of the structure of the air conditioner 1 including the air conditioning unit 10 will be described with reference to fig. 4. As will be described below, according to the air conditioner 1, the low-temperature side coolant (for example, cold water) and the high-temperature side coolant (for example, warm water) can be supplied to the heat exchangers 20 of the air conditioner unit 10, whereby only 1 heat exchanger 20 can be provided to the air conditioner unit 10, and the air conditioner has a cooling and heating function.

In the air conditioner 1, each of the condenser 43 and the evaporator 49 of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle exchanges heat with the coolant. As shown in fig. 4, the air conditioner 1 includes: a refrigerant circuit 40, a coolant circuit CL including the high temperature side coolant circuit 50 and the low temperature side coolant circuit 60, the air conditioning unit 10, the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 (the 2 nd heat exchanger) and the fan CL2, and a controller 70 that controls the operation of the air conditioner 1. The air conditioner 1 is provided with a1 st control valve V1, a2 nd control valve V2, a 3 rd control valve V3, a1 st solenoid valve SV1, and a2 nd solenoid valve SV 2. These valves are controlled by a controller 70.

The high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50 feeds the high-temperature coolant that exchanges heat with the high-temperature refrigerant through the condenser 43, and adjusts the distribution of the flow rates of the coolant fed to the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 and the heat exchanger 20 of the air conditioning unit 10 (indoor heat exchanger) according to the air conditioning load through the 1 st adjustment valve V1.

The low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60 feeds the low-temperature coolant that exchanges heat with the low-temperature refrigerant through the evaporator 49, and adjusts the distribution of the flow rates of the coolant fed to the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 and the heat exchanger 20 according to the air conditioning load by the 2 nd adjustment valve V2.

In order to achieve the above functions, the air conditioner 1 has the following configuration.

(refrigerant circuit)

As shown in fig. 4, the refrigerant circuit 40 is provided at the outside-cabin Out.

The refrigerant circuit 40 includes: a compressor 41 for compressing a refrigerant; a condenser 43 that is a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the high-temperature high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressor 41 and the high-temperature side coolant flowing through the high-temperature side coolant circuit 50; a liquid receiver 45; an expansion valve 47 which is a decompression unit for decompressing the refrigerant flowing out of the liquid receiver 45; and an evaporator 49 which is a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion valve 47 and the low-temperature-side coolant flowing through the low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60.

In the condenser 43, the gas refrigerant that has reached a high temperature and a high pressure exchanges heat with the high-temperature-side coolant, and is condensed. At this time, the gas refrigerant releases condensation heat, and therefore the temperature of the high-temperature side coolant used for cooling rises. The refrigerant changes from a gas to a liquid state by condensation, and becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure liquid. The liquid refrigerant flows into the liquid receiver 45.

In the expansion valve 47, since the refrigerant is opened after the flow of the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant is restricted, the pressure of the refrigerant rapidly drops. Therefore, the refrigerant in the evaporator 49 is easily evaporated. In the evaporator 49, the refrigerant takes evaporation heat from the low-temperature-side coolant to evaporate. Therefore, the temperature of the low-temperature-side coolant decreases. The low-temperature low-pressure gas refrigerant having passed through the evaporator 49 flows into the compressor 41 and is compressed into a high-temperature high-pressure gas refrigerant. In addition to the compression of the gas refrigerant, the refrigeration cycle is repeated from each process of condensation by the condenser 43, decompression by the expansion valve 47, and evaporation by the evaporator 49, as described above.

(high temperature side Coolant Circuit)

The high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50 includes: a high-temperature side heat exchanger 51 that is provided in parallel with the condenser 43 of the refrigerant circuit 40 and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 43 and the high-temperature side coolant; and a high-temperature-side circulation pump 53 for circulating the high-temperature-side coolant.

The 1 st regulating valve V1 regulates either or both of the high-temperature-side coolant inflow heat exchanger 20 and the outdoor heat exchanger CL 1. The 1 st regulating valve V1 can be formed of a so-called three-way valve, and can regulate the distribution of the high-temperature-side coolant flowing into the heat exchanger 20 and the cabin exterior heat exchanger CL 1. In addition, the regulating valve can regulate the flow rate.

The 3 rd regulating valve V3 regulates the flow of the coolant flowing out of the heat exchanger 20 into either or both of the high temperature side coolant circuit 50 and the low temperature side coolant circuit 60.

The 1 st solenoid valve SV1 and the 2 nd solenoid valve SV2 selectively flow either one of the high temperature side coolant and the low temperature side coolant into the outdoor heat exchanger CL 1.

The 1 st solenoid valve SV1 allows or prevents the coolant from flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 into the high-temperature side heat exchanger 51 via the exhaust heat recoverer 68.

The 2 nd solenoid valve SV2 allows or prevents the coolant from flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 via the exhaust heat recoverer 67.

One end of the high-temperature-side circulation pump 53 is connected to the downstream side of the high-temperature-side heat exchanger 51, and the other end is provided in the flow path of the pipe LH1 connected to the 1 st adjustment valve V1. The downstream is based on the direction in which the high-temperature-side coolant flows through the high-temperature-side heat exchanger 51.

One end of a pipe LH2 and one end of a pipe LH3 are connected to the 1 st regulator valve V1. The other end of the pipe LH2 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 via the connection pipe 27. The other end of the pipe LH3 is connected to the inlet header 23 (fig. 2) of the heat exchanger 20 via a connection pipe 252.

One end of a pipe LH6 is connected to the upstream side of the high-temperature side heat exchanger 51, and a confluence point C3 is provided at the other end of the pipe LH 6. One end of the pipe LH4 and one end of the pipe LH5 are connected to the confluence point C3. The other end of the pipe LH4 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 via the connection pipe 28, and is also connected to the pipe LL2 of the low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60. The 1 st solenoid valve SV1 is provided in the flow path of the pipe LH 4. The other end of the pipe LH5 is connected to the 3 rd regulator valve V3. The 3 rd regulator valve V3 is connected to the outlet header 24 (fig. 2) of the heat exchanger 20 via a connecting pipe 26.

In fig. 4, arrows indicated in the pipes LH1 to LH6 indicate the direction in which the high-temperature-side coolant flows. In fig. 4, all of the pipes LH1 to LH6 show the direction in which the high-temperature-side coolant flows, but there are also pipes LH1 to LH6 in which the high-temperature-side coolant does not flow depending on the operation mode of the air conditioner 1. The same applies to the pipe LL1 to the pipe LL6 described later.

(Low temperature side Coolant Circuit)

The low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60 includes: a low-temperature-side heat exchanger 61 that is provided in parallel with the evaporator 49 of the refrigerant circuit 40 and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator 49 and the low-temperature-side coolant; a low-temperature-side circulation pump 63 that circulates a low-temperature-side coolant; and exhaust

heat recovery units

67 and 68 for recovering heat from the air discharged to the outside through the cabin In.

Instead of the

exhaust heat recoverers

67, 68, a heat exchanger or an electric heater for recovering exhaust heat of the vehicle equipment or exhaust ventilation heat may be provided.

The 2 nd adjustment valve V2 adjusts either or both of the low-temperature-side coolant inflow heat exchanger 20 and the outdoor heat exchanger CL 1. The 2 nd regulator valve V2 can be configured by a so-called three-way valve, and can regulate the distribution of the low-temperature-side coolant flowing into the heat exchanger 20 and the cabin exterior heat exchanger CL 1.

One end of the low-temperature-side circulation pump 63 is connected to the downstream side of the low-temperature-side heat exchanger 61, and the other end is provided in the flow path of the pipe LL1 connected to the 2 nd regulator valve V2.

One end of the pipe LL2 and one end of the pipe LL3 are connected to the 2 nd regulator valve V2. The exhaust heat recovery unit 68 and the 1 st solenoid valve SV1 are provided in the flow path of the pipe LL 2. The other end of the pipe LL2 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 via the connection pipe 28. The other end of pipe LL3 is connected to heat exchanger 20 via connection pipe 251.

One end of a pipe LL6 is connected to the upstream side of the low temperature side heat exchanger 61, and a confluence point C5 is provided at the other end of the pipe LL 6. One end of the pipe LL4 and one end of the pipe LL5 are connected to the confluence point C5. The other end of the pipe LL4 is connected to the 3 rd regulator valve V3. The other end of the pipe LL5 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger CL1 via the connection pipe 27, and also connected to the pipe LH2 of the high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50. A waste heat recovery unit 67 and a2 nd solenoid valve SV2 are provided in a flow path of the pipe LL 5.

(operation of air conditioner)

During operation of the air conditioner 1, heat exchange between the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant and the high-temperature side coolant continues in the high-temperature side heat exchanger 51, and heat exchange between the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion valve 47 and the low-temperature side coolant continues in the low-temperature side heat exchanger 61.

The air conditioner 1 realizes a plurality of operation modes by distributing the high-temperature-side coolant and the low-temperature-side coolant to the heat exchanger 20 and the cabin exterior heat exchanger CL 1.

The operation in the operation mode of each air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

The air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment operates in any one of the following 4 modes: the strong cooling mode shown in fig. 5(a), the weak cooling mode shown in fig. 5(b), the weak air heating/dehumidification air heating mode shown in fig. 6(a), and the strong air heating mode shown in fig. 6 (b).

(forced cooling mode)

In the strong cooling mode, as shown in fig. 5(a), only the low-temperature-side coolant is sent to the heat exchanger 20 by the low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60, and the high-temperature-side coolant flowing through the high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50 circulates between the high-temperature-side heat exchanger 51 and the cabin exterior heat exchanger CL 1.

To achieve the strong cooling mode, 1 st regulator valve V1, 3 rd regulator valve V3, 2 nd regulator valve V2, 1 st solenoid valve SV1, and 2 nd solenoid valve SV2 are controlled in the following manner.

ON indicates that the flow path is open and OFF indicates that the flow path is closed.

1 st regulating valve V1: a flow path to the pipe LH 2; opening a flow path to the pipe LH 3; close off

3 rd regulating valve V3: a flow path to the pipe LH 5; closing the flow path to the pipe LL 4; open

2 nd regulating valve V2: a flow path to the pipe LL 2; closing the flow path to the pipe LL 3; open

Solenoid valve SV1 No. 1: open

Solenoid valve No. 2 SV 2: close off

In fig. 5 and 6, the flow path section in which the coolant does not flow when the valve is closed is indicated by a broken line.

In the strong cooling mode, the high temperature side coolant circulates in the following order: a high-temperature side heat exchanger 51, a high-temperature side circulation pump 53, a1 st adjustment valve V1, and an outdoor heat exchanger CL 1. That is, the high-temperature-side coolant is not sent to the heat exchanger 20 but circulates in the closed high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50.

In the strong cooling mode, the low-temperature-side coolant circulates in the following order: a low-temperature side heat exchanger 61, a low-temperature side circulation pump 63, a2 nd adjustment valve V2, a heat exchanger 20, and a 3 rd adjustment valve V3. The low-temperature-side coolant is not sent to the outdoor heat exchanger CL 1.

As described above, In the strong cooling mode, only the low temperature side coolant is delivered to the heat exchanger 20, and cooling of In the vehicle compartment is achieved.

(weak cooling mode)

In the weak cooling mode in which the degree of cooling is weak as compared to the strong cooling mode, as shown in fig. 5(b), the low-temperature side coolant is delivered to the heat exchanger 20 through the low-temperature side coolant circuit 60, and a part of the high-temperature side coolant is delivered to the heat exchanger 20 through the high-temperature side coolant circuit 50, and the remaining part of the high-temperature side coolant is delivered to the outdoor heat exchanger CL 1.

To implement the weak cooling mode, 1 st regulator valve V1, 3 rd regulator valve V3, 2 nd regulator valve V2, 1 st solenoid valve SV1, and 2 nd solenoid valve SV2 are controlled in the following manner.

The 1 st and 3 rd regulating valves V1 and V3 are opened at a predetermined opening degree so that the flow rate of the coolant is appropriately distributed according to the air conditioning load.

1 st regulating valve V1: a flow path to the pipe LH 2; opening a flow path to the pipe LH 3; open

3 rd regulating valve V3: a flow path to the pipe LH 5; opening a flow path to the pipe LL 4; open

Solenoid valve SV1 No. 1: open

Solenoid valve No. 2 SV 2: close off

In the weak cooling mode, the high-temperature-side coolant circulates in the order of the high-temperature-side heat exchanger 51, the high-temperature-side circulation pump 53, the 1 st adjustment valve V1, the heat exchanger 20, and the 3 rd adjustment valve V3, and circulates in the order of the high-temperature-side heat exchanger 51, the high-temperature-side circulation pump 53, the 1 st adjustment valve V1, and the outdoor heat exchanger CL 1.

In the weak cooling mode, the low-temperature-side coolant circulates in the same manner as in the strong cooling mode.

(Weak heating, dehumidification heating mode)

In the weak air heating and dehumidification-air heating mode, as shown in fig. 6(a), the high-temperature-side coolant is sent to the heat exchanger 20 through the high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50, a part of the low-temperature-side coolant flowing through the low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60 is sent to the heat exchanger 20, and the remaining part of the low-temperature-side coolant is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger CL 1.

In the weak air heating and dehumidification heating mode, as in the weak air cooling mode, both the low-temperature-side coolant and the high-temperature-side coolant are supplied to the heat exchanger 20. However, in the weak air heating and dehumidification heating mode, the flow rate of the low-temperature-side coolant supplied to the heat exchanger 20 is smaller than that in the weak air cooling mode, and conversely, the flow rate of the high-temperature-side coolant is larger. In the weak air heating and dehumidification heating mode, the degree of heating is weak as compared with the strong heating mode (fig. 6(b)) in which the low-temperature-side coolant is not supplied to the heat exchanger 20.

In order to realize the weak air heating and dehumidification-air heating mode, the 1 st adjustment valve V1, the 3 rd adjustment valve V3, the 2 nd adjustment valve V2, the 1 st solenoid valve SV1, and the 2 nd solenoid valve SV2 are controlled as follows.

The opening of the 2 nd and 3 rd regulating valves V2 and V3 means that a predetermined opening degree is provided to appropriately distribute the flow rate of the coolant according to the air conditioning load.

1 st regulating valve V1: a flow path to the pipe LH 2; closing the flow path to the pipe LH 3; open

2 nd regulating valve V2: a flow path to the pipe LL 2; opening a flow path to the pipe LL 3; open

Solenoid valve SV1 No. 1: close off

Solenoid valve No. 2 SV 2: open

In the weak air heating and dehumidification heating mode, the high-temperature-side coolant circulates in the following order: a high-temperature side heat exchanger 51, a high-temperature side circulation pump 53, a1 st adjustment valve V1, a heat exchanger 20, and a 3 rd adjustment valve V3.

In the weak air heating/dehumidification-air heating mode, the low-temperature-side coolant circulates in the order of the low-temperature-side heat exchanger 61, the low-temperature-side circulation pump 63, the 2 nd adjustment valve V2, the heat exchanger 20, and the 3 rd adjustment valve V3, and circulates in the order of the low-temperature-side heat exchanger 61, the low-temperature-side circulation pump 63, the 2 nd adjustment valve V2, the waste-heat recoverer 68, the outdoor heat exchanger CL1, and the waste-heat recoverer 67.

(Strong heating mode)

In the strong air heating mode, as shown in fig. 6(b), only the high-temperature-side coolant is sent to the heat exchanger 20 by the high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50, and the low-temperature-side coolant flowing through the low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60 circulates between the low-temperature-side heat exchanger 61 and the cabin exterior heat exchanger CL 1.

To implement the strong air heating mode, the 1 st, 3 rd, 2 nd, 1 st, and 2 nd regulator valves V1, V3, V2, SV1, and SV2 are controlled in the following manner.

3 rd regulating valve V3: a flow path to the pipe LH 5; opening a flow path to the pipe LL 4; close off

2 nd regulating valve V2: a flow path to the pipe LL 2; opening a flow path to the pipe LL 3; close off

Solenoid valve SV1 No. 1: close off

Solenoid valve No. 2 SV 2: open

In the strong heating mode, the high-temperature side coolant is circulated in the following order: a high-temperature side heat exchanger 51, a high-temperature side circulation pump 53, a1 st adjustment valve V1, a heat exchanger 20, and a 3 rd adjustment valve V3.

In the strong heating mode, the low-temperature-side coolant is circulated in the following order: a low-temperature-side heat exchanger 61, a low-temperature-side circulation pump 63, a2 nd adjustment valve V2, a waste heat recovery unit 68, an outdoor heat exchanger CL1, and a waste heat recovery unit 67.

As described above, In the strong air heating mode, only the high-temperature-side coolant is sent to the heat exchanger 20, and the heating of the In compartment is realized.

(Effect based on air conditioner)

According to the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, one or both of the high-temperature-side coolant heated by the heat exchange between the high-temperature-side coolant circuit 50 and the refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit 40 and the low-temperature-side coolant cooled by the heat exchange between the low-temperature-side coolant circuit 60 and the refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit 40 are supplied to the heat exchanger 20. According to the air conditioner 1, even if only 1 heat exchanger 20 is provided in the air conditioning unit 10, cooling and heating can be performed as described above.

That is, according to the air conditioner 1, the air conditioner 10 can be downsized because the air conditioner 1 has the heating and cooling functions and the number of the heat exchangers 20 required for the air conditioner unit 10 can be reduced to 1. As can be seen by comparing the air conditioning unit 10 shown in fig. 1 with the HVAC unit shown in fig. 9, the volume of the air conditioning unit 10 is smaller than the volume of the HVAC unit provided with 2 heat exchangers (91, 92) by the amount of the area indicated by the hatched pattern in fig. 9.

Further, according to the air conditioner 1, since the number of the heat exchangers 20 is only 1, it is not necessary to provide an air mixing damper (93 in fig. 9). This can provide the following effects.

The wind noise generated when the opening of the air mixing damper is particularly small can be eliminated.

Further, a drive source such as a motor for driving the air mix damper is not required, and the movable portion can be eliminated from the air conditioning unit 10 by eliminating the air mix damper. Therefore, the weight and cost of the air conditioning unit 10 can be reduced, and the reliability can be improved.

If only 1 heat exchanger 20 is provided and there is no air mixing damper, the cross-sectional area of the air flow path in the duct 13 can be secured large. Therefore, when the air flow rate is constant, the flow velocity can be reduced, and noise can be reduced.

In addition, since the number of the heat exchangers 20 provided in the air conditioning unit 10 is only 1, the pressure loss of the air flowing through the duct 13 is reduced, and thus the power input to the blower 11 can be reduced.

In addition, according to the air conditioner 1, since the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the refrigerant circuit 40 is constant, it is not necessary to provide a flow path switching valve such as a four-way valve. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the reduction of air conditioning performance due to the refrigerant pressure loss by the flow path switching valve and the occurrence of refrigerant flow noise occurring when passing through the valve.

Further, according to the air conditioner 1, since the refrigerant circuit 40 is provided outside the vehicle cabin Out, the risk of leakage of the refrigerant into the vehicle cabin In is low. Therefore, by increasing the size of the equipment constituting the refrigerant circuit 40, it is possible to use a refrigerant (R454C) or CO having combustibility without preventing leakage of the refrigerant₂The heating capacity is increased a little by the high-pressure refrigerant.

Further, the use of the refrigerant as the coolant can reduce the risk of combustion when the refrigerant leaks, and therefore, a refrigerant having combustibility can be used in this regard as well.

During heating, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator 49 is set to be lower than the temperature of the outside air, and heat is absorbed from the outside air, and the evaporation temperature (low-pressure) in the evaporator 49 depends on the outside air temperature. The temperature of the low-temperature-side coolant supplied to the heat exchanger 20 used for dehumidification by the low-temperature-side heat exchanger 61 exchanging heat with the refrigerant is also referred to as a temperature corresponding to an evaporation temperature.

However, according to the air conditioner 1, even under the frost formation condition where the temperature of the refrigerant is lower than 0 ℃ due to the low outside air temperature, the temperature of the low-temperature-side coolant flowing into the heat exchanger 20 can be maintained at 0 ℃ or higher by the mixing of the low-temperature-side coolant and the high-temperature-side coolant in the coolant circuit CL. Therefore, the heat exchanger 20 can be prevented from frosting and heating performance can be maintained.

The operation modes of the air conditioner 1 are merely examples, and are not limited to the above.

For example, it is permissible to supply the low-temperature side coolant to the inlet header 23 of the heat exchanger 20 and supply a small amount of the high-temperature side coolant in the strong cooling mode, or to supply the high-temperature side coolant to the inlet header 23 of the heat exchanger 20 and supply a small amount of the low-temperature side coolant in the strong heating mode. In this case, even in the strong cooling mode or the strong heating mode, a temperature gradient is given to the air passing through the heat exchanger 20, and head and foot cooling can be achieved.

[ 2 nd embodiment ]

Next, a heat exchanger 80 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 7 and 8. Hereinafter, the following description will be focused on the case different from embodiment 1.

As shown in fig. 7(a) and 7(b), the heat exchanger 80 according to embodiment 2 includes: a plurality of rows (801, 802) of tubes 21 arranged in the air flow direction D1, and vanes 22, an inlet header 23, and an outlet header 24 appropriately provided in the tubes 21.

The heat exchanger 80 can be configured as, for example, the air conditioner 1 shown in fig. 4 in the same manner as the heat exchanger 20 of embodiment 1.

The heat exchange core disposed on the upstream side in the airflow direction D1 is referred to as a windward row 801, and the heat exchange core disposed on the downstream side in the airflow direction D1 is referred to as a windward row 802.

The windward row 801 includes a plurality of tubes 21 and a plurality of blades 22 stacked in a crossing direction D2 that crosses an airflow direction D1. The same is true of the wind following 802.

The heat exchanger 20 according to embodiment 1 may include a windward row 801 and a leeward row 802.

The number of the tubes 21 in the windward row 801 and the number of the tubes 21 in the windward row 802 are equal to n, and the tubes 21 in the windward row 801 and the tubes 21 in the windward row 802 in the same section from 1 st to nth sections are arranged at the same positions in the intersecting direction D2.

However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the number of the tubes 21 may be different between the windward row 801 and the windward row 802, or the positions of the tubes 21 on the same stage of the windward row 801 and the windward row 802 may be shifted in the intersecting direction D2.

The interior of the inlet header 23 may communicate with any of all of the tubes 21 of the windward row 801 and all of the tubes 21 of the windward row 802. The same is true of the interior of the outlet header 24.

The embodiment 2 has the following main features: the interior of the inlet header 23 is divided into a low-temperature side region a1 into which low-temperature side coolant can flow from the low-temperature side coolant inflow part 231, and a high-temperature side region a2 into which high-temperature side coolant can flow from the high-temperature side coolant inflow part 232.

In the example shown in fig. 7(a) and 7(b), the interior of the inlet header 23 is divided into a low temperature side region a1 and a high temperature side region a2 by a plate-like partition member 85 arranged in the segment direction.

In embodiment 2, in the same manner as in embodiment 1, the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231 is offset on the upstream side (windward side) in the air flow direction D1 with respect to the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232. Therefore, the low temperature side region a1, into which the low temperature side coolant can flow, is located on the upstream side (windward side) in the airflow direction D1 in the interior of the inlet header 23, and the high temperature side region a2, into which the high temperature side coolant can flow, is located on the downstream side (windward side) in the airflow direction D1 in the interior of the inlet header 23.

Therefore, the low temperature side region a1 communicates with the tubes 21 of the windward row 801, and the high temperature side region a2 communicates with the tubes 21 of the windward row 802.

As shown in fig. 7(a) and 7(b), the interior of the inlet header 23 is divided into a low temperature side region a1 and a high temperature side region a2 in a state where the coolant is allowed to move between the low temperature side region a1 and the high temperature side region a2 through the gap 851. That is, the interior of the inlet header 23 is not completely partitioned.

Therefore, the partition member 85 is disposed inside the inlet header 23 with a gap 851 kept between the tip end thereof and the inner wall of the inlet header 23.

Fig. 8 schematically shows the temperature gradient of the coolant flowing through each tube 21 of the heat exchanger 80 according to embodiment 2.

The coolant LC flowing from the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 231 into the low-temperature-side region a1 mainly flows into the pipe body 21 disposed on the 1 st stage side in the windward row 801.

On the other hand, the coolant HC flowing from the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion 232 into the high-temperature-side region a2 mainly flows into the pipe body 21 arranged on the nth stage side among the windward following portions 802.

In embodiment 2, the temperature gradient given to the coolant flowing through each pipe body 21 emphasizes the temperature difference between the windward side and the windward side.

Therefore, according to embodiment 2, in addition to the effects described in embodiment 1, since the low-temperature-side coolant easily spreads over the windward pipe body 21, the ability to dehumidify the air in the vehicle cabin is improved, and the fogging of the window can be more sufficiently prevented.

By allowing the coolant to move between the low temperature side region a1 and the high temperature side region a2, even when the coolant is supplied only to the low temperature side region a1 as in the cooling mode or to the high temperature side region a2 as in the heating mode, the coolant can flow into both the low temperature side region a1 and the high temperature side region a2 through the gap 851, and the coolant can flow into any one of the tubes 21 in the windward row 801 and the windward row 802. Therefore, all the tubes 21 provided in the heat exchanger 80 can contribute to heat exchange.

The structure for allowing the movement of the coolant and dividing the low temperature side region a1 and the high temperature side region a2 is not limited to the present embodiment. For example, instead of setting the gap 851 between the tip end of the partition member 85 and the inner wall of the inlet header 23, an access hole through which the coolant can be accessed may be drilled in the partition member.

Alternatively, the inlet header 23 may be composed of 2 separate cylinders configured to communicate via a passage path of the coolant.

The heat exchanger 80 may have tubes 21 arranged in 3 or more rows. In this case, for example, the pipe body 21 in the 1 st row on the windward side communicates with the low temperature side region a1, and the remaining pipe bodies 21 in the 2 nd and 3 rd rows communicate with the high temperature side region a 2.

In addition to the above, the configurations described in the above embodiments may be selected or appropriately changed to another configuration without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The heat exchanger, the air conditioning unit, and the air conditioner according to the present invention are not limited to use in vehicles, and can be applied to air conditioning of buildings and the like.

In the above embodiment, the air conditioning unit 10 includes 3 air outflow portions 121 to 123, but the air conditioning unit of the present invention may include only 2 air outflow portions.

In this case, for example, 2 air outflow portions may correspond to the face outlet and the window outlet, the window outlet and the foot outlet, and the face outlet and the foot outlet.

Further, the air conditioning unit of the present invention may have an outlet in addition to the face outlet, the window outlet, and the foot outlet, and in this case, the air conditioning unit may have 4 or more air outflow portions.

Description of the symbols

1-air conditioner, 10-air conditioning unit, 11-blower, 11A-suction part, 11B-discharge part, 12-air outflow part, 13-conduit, 13A-terminal, 20-heat exchanger (1 st heat exchanger), 20A-air supply surface, 20C-heat exchange core, 21-tube, 21A-upstream end, 21B-downstream end, 22-blade, 23-inlet header, 24-outlet header, 251, 252, 26, 27, 28-connection pipe, 31-33-air outlet (air outlet), 40-refrigerant circuit, 41-compressor, 43-condenser, 45-liquid receiver, 47-expansion valve (decompression part), 49-evaporator, 50-high temperature side coolant circuit, 51-a high-temperature-side heat exchanger, 53-a high-temperature-side circulation pump, 60-a low-temperature-side coolant circuit, 61-a low-temperature-side heat exchanger, 63-a low-temperature-side circulation pump, 67, 68-a heat-rejection recoverer, 70-a controller, 80-a heat exchanger, 23-an inlet header, 85-a partition member, 91-a vaporizer, 92-a heater core, 93-an air mixing damper, 94-a mixing region, 121-a low-temperature-side air outflow portion, 122-a medium-temperature air outflow portion, 123-a high-temperature-side air outflow portion, 131-a region, 231-a low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion, 232-a high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion, 241-a coolant outflow portion, 801-a windward row, 802-a windward row, 851-gap, a 1-a low-temperature-side region, a 2-high temperature side region, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5-temperature region, CL-coolant circuit, CL 1-outdoor heat exchanger (2 nd heat exchanger), CL 2-fan, C3, C5-confluence point, D1-air flow direction (air flow direction), D2-cross direction, D3-coolant flow direction (coolant flow direction), In-vehicle interior, Out-vehicle exterior, LC-low temperature side coolant, HC-high temperature side coolant, LH 1-LH 6-piping, LL 1-LL 6-piping, SV 1-1 st electromagnetic valve, SV 2-2 nd electromagnetic valve, V1-1 st regulating valve, V2-2 nd regulating valve, V3-3 rd regulating valve.

Claims

1. An air conditioning unit, characterized by comprising:

a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the air and the coolant;

a blower that supplies the air to the heat exchanger; and

an air outflow portion that causes the air passing through the heat exchanger to flow out from the air conditioning unit,

the heat exchanger is provided with:

a plurality of pipe bodies stacked and having the coolant flowing therein;

an inlet header communicating with an end portion on an upstream side of the plurality of tube bodies in a direction in which the coolant flows;

an outlet header communicating with an end portion of a downstream side of the plurality of tube bodies in a direction in which the coolant flows; and

a blade thermally coupled to the plurality of tubes,

the inlet header includes: a low-temperature-side coolant inflow unit into which the coolant having a relatively low temperature can flow; and a high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion into which the coolant having a relatively high temperature can flow,

the low-temperature-side coolant inflow part and the high-temperature-side coolant inflow part are offset from each other in a direction of the air flow through the heat exchanger, and are offset from each other in a crossing direction crossing with respect to the direction of the air flow.

2. The air conditioning unit according to claim 1,

the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion is offset on an upstream side of the air flow with respect to the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion.

3. The air conditioning unit according to claim 1 or 2,

the air outflow portion includes: a low-temperature-side air outflow unit configured to cause the air having a relatively low temperature to flow out; and a high-temperature-side air outflow unit configured to cause the air having a relatively high temperature to flow out.

4. The air conditioning unit according to claim 3, for use in an air conditioner for a room of a vehicle,

the air outflow portion includes: the low temperature side air outflow portion, the high temperature side air outflow portion, and a medium temperature air outflow portion that causes the air at a relatively intermediate temperature to flow out,

the low temperature side air outflow portion, the medium temperature side air outflow portion, and the high temperature side air outflow portion are offset in the intersecting direction,

the low temperature side air outflow part corresponds to an air outlet for the face,

the medium temperature air outflow part corresponds to an air outlet for the window,

the high-temperature side air outflow part corresponds to an air outlet for the foot.

5. The air conditioning unit according to any of claims 1 to 4,

the heat exchanger is curved such that a part thereof is located on a relatively upstream side and another part thereof is located on a relatively downstream side in the air flow direction.

6. The air conditioning unit according to any of claims 1 to 5,

the inlet header and the outlet header are communicated with a plurality of rows of the tubes arranged in the air flow direction,

the inlet header being internally divided into a low-temperature-side region in which the coolant can flow from the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion and a high-temperature-side region in which the coolant can flow from the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion,

the low temperature side region communicates with the tubes in the row on the upstream side or the downstream side in the air flow direction,

the high temperature side region is communicated with the pipe bodies in the other row,

allowing the coolant to move between the low temperature side region and the high temperature side region.

7. A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a coolant, comprising:

a plurality of pipe bodies stacked and having the coolant flowing therein;

a blade thermally coupled to the plurality of tubes,

the inlet header includes: a low-temperature-side coolant inflow unit into which the coolant having a relatively low temperature flows; and a high-temperature side coolant inflow portion into which the coolant having a relatively high temperature flows,

8. An air conditioner is characterized by comprising:

a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a condenser, a decompression section, and an evaporator;

a high-temperature-side coolant circuit including a high-temperature-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a coolant and the refrigerant flowing through the condenser;

a low-temperature-side coolant circuit including a low-temperature-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a coolant and a refrigerant flowing through the evaporator;

a1 st heat exchanger supplied with the coolant from at least one of the high-temperature-side coolant circuit and the low-temperature-side coolant circuit; and

a2 nd heat exchanger supplied with the coolant from at least one of the high temperature side coolant circuit and the low temperature side coolant circuit,

the 1 st heat exchanger is the heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit of any of claims 1 to 6,

in the low-temperature-side coolant inflow portion, the coolant can flow from the low-temperature-side coolant circuit,

in the high-temperature-side coolant inflow portion, the coolant can flow from the high-temperature-side coolant circuit.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, which is used for air conditioning of a room of a vehicle,

the air outflow portion of the air conditioning unit corresponds to an air outlet that blows out the air in the room.